Scenic Hudson Joins Lawsuit Challenging Lehigh Cement -- by the Half Moon Press

March, 2004 issue

Scenic Hudson Joins Lawsuit Challenging Lehigh Cement Scenic Hudson recently joined the Germantown Neighbors Association and Friends of Hudson in a lawsuit challenging the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's approval to permit expanded operations, without a proper review of the environmental impacts, at the Glen Falls Lehigh Cement facility in Cementon, in Greene County.

The co-plaintiffs are now seeking to set aside this permit. They want Glens Falls Lehigh Cement to conduct a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement in compliance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), as a condition to any expanded operations at this facility.

In April 2002 the cement facility applied to increase its operating hours to become an around-the-clock operation and a major source of air pollution. Residents of nearby communities, including Germantown, which is directly across the river, expressed concerns about the noise, light and air pollution that was already emanating from the facility. Despite the co-plaintiffs' individual requests for a thorough environmental review, the DEC approved the permit in November 2003.

As a watchdog of industrial development in the Hudson River Valley, Scenic Hudson in this lawsuit to ensure the DEC makes permit decisions in accordance with the environmental protections afforded by SEQRA.